Paolo Ventura

Paolo Ventura is an Italian photographer and artist who has been creating dreamlike images for over two decades. Born in Milan in 1968, he began his career as a painter before turning to photography in the late 1990s. His work is characterized by a unique blend of reality and fantasy, often featuring surreal scenes that evoke a sense of nostalgia and mystery.

Ventura's photographs have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He has also published several books of his work, including The Automaton (2008), War Souvenir (2010), and Invisible Cities (2013).

In addition to his photographic work, Ventura has also created installations and sculptures that explore similar themes. He has collaborated with fashion designers such as Prada and Miu Miu, as well as with musicians like Björk and David Byrne. In 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Hasselblad Masters Award for his contributions to photography.

Ventura continues to live and work in Milan, where he draws inspiration from his hometown's rich history and culture. His photographs are a testament to his unique vision of the world—one that is both familiar yet strange at the same time.